"Why did you leave work?"That's the worst response you can give in the interview.

Never go to a job interview without some previously prepared answers, advises Erin McGoff, a career expert.

In her view, having some advance - thought answers can help you to avoid getting caught up in the face of difficult questions. In her book"The Secret Language of Work: Hyper-Hepful statements for Every Site", McGoff points out that exercising what you want to say helps you to feel more calm and focused on high - pressure situations.

One of the questions that most often confuses candidates is: why did you leave your previous position?

According to McGoff, this is a common question, but many people don't know how to formulate the answer in order to sound honest without necessarily revealing the whole story.

How You Should Not Answer

In essence, employers are not so interested in why you have quit your previous job. What they want is warning signals. They try to see if you can quit for similar reasons.

The most important thing you need to remember is that the interview is no place to extract frustrations.

This is no time to talk long enough about a terrible chief"", difficult colleagues or disgruntled ones from the previous company.

When a candidate complains about his previous job, this may sound like: "This person is bringing too much burden from the past"or"This candidate can bring many drama".

Therefore, McGoff recommends avoiding any negative comments about former parliament, former chief or colleagues. Moreover, depending on the field in which you work, the new employer can recognize the people you've been working with before, and it transmitsgraphy.

How Should You Answer?

According to McGoff, the answer should be careful. You can still tell the truth but in a way that serves the purpose of the interview - to make a good impression.

It recommends three steps.

1. Name something you enjoyed in your previous job

You can say, for example: "I've loved the work of products I've been engaged to"or"I'm proud of the results I've achieved in that position".

2. Explain briefly why you left

Use neutral language. Instead of saying you left because of a toxic boss, you can formulate the answer this way: "The company made a change in management and this, unfortunately, changed my role dynamic".

If you don't want to go into detail, the answer may remain general: "I felt it was the right time to go on"or"I was looking for more career development opportunities".

3. Focus on Your New Position

Finally, contact the job you are interviewing for.

You could say: When I saw this open position, I thought it could bring great value to your company. That's why I'm here today"

In general, the answer should focus on your skills, experience, and interest in your new position, not your dissatisfaction with past employment.

The basic rule is simple: Stay sincere, but positive. The interview is a place to show why you are a good candidate, not to explain in detail why you have been dissatisfied elsewhere. /Periscope